Alubia Bean Dip With Garlic Confit And 'Nduja Oil

I set out to make a really great bean dip using nutty Alubia beans that would be a nod to their Mediterranean roots and rival even the best hummus. Because Alubia is a sturdier bean, I found adding a good amount of oil was the key to a dip that is as smooth as it is rich. The magic comes from a quick confit of garlic, shallot, lemon peel, and oregano, which I blended with the beans. Then, I used 'nduja, a spicy, spreadable pork sausage from the Calabria region of Italy, to create an addictively smoky, unctuous topping that ties it all together. (If you haven't yet gotten your hands on 'nduja, look for it at specialty markets, and use it to amp up all kinds of sauces.) – Jackie Young (@cookwithjackie)

Why This Dip Works

What sets this bean dip apart is the technique and the layers of flavor. Instead of raw garlic, you make a quick confit, gently simmering whole garlic cloves and shallot in olive oil until they're sweet, soft, and mellow. Lemon peel and fresh oregano join toward the end, infusing the oil with bright, herbaceous notes. This confit, blended with the cooked beans, creates a dip that's incredibly smooth, rich, and deeply flavorful.

But the real showstopper is the 'nduja oil drizzled on top. 'Nduja, a spicy, spreadable pork sausage from Calabria, melts into olive oil with smoked paprika, creating a deep red, smoky, slightly spicy topping that's absolutely addictive. It adds visual drama, a kick of heat, and a savory depth that makes this dip truly special.

The Star: Alubia Beans

Let's talk about Alubia beans, Spanish white beans with a delicate, creamy texture and mild, slightly nutty flavor. These medium-sized beans are prized in Spanish cooking for their ability to become wonderfully tender while maintaining their integrity. They have a thin skin that practically melts during cooking and a creamy interior that's perfect for dips and spreads.

What makes Alubia beans ideal for this dip is their sturdier structure compared to some other white beans. As Jackie discovered, they can handle, and actually benefit from, a generous amount of oil, which creates that ultra-smooth, luxurious texture. When blended with the garlic confit, bean cooking liquid, and plenty of olive oil, they transform into something silky and rich that truly rivals the best hummus.

The beans' mild, nutty flavor also provides the perfect canvas for the bold Mediterranean flavors, garlic, lemon, oregano, and that spicy 'nduja topping.

The Garlic Confit

Making garlic confit might sound fancy, but it's actually incredibly simple and the technique is worth learning. Whole peeled garlic cloves and quartered shallot get submerged in olive oil and simmered gently for 20 minutes until they're completely soft and sweet. The low, gentle heat transforms the garlic from sharp and pungent to mellow and almost buttery.

Strips of lemon peel and fresh oregano leaves join for the last 5 minutes, infusing the oil with their aromatics. The result is garlic and shallot that are sweet, tender, and infused with lemon and herb notes, plus flavored oil that becomes part of the dip.

The key is using low heat and taking your time. You're not trying to brown the garlic, you want it to cook gently until it's completely tender and mild.

Blending It Smooth

The blending technique is important for achieving that ultra-smooth texture. The strained garlic, shallot, lemon peel, and oregano go into a food processor with the drained beans, bean cooking liquid (which adds flavor and helps with consistency), some of that precious confit oil, fresh lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

Then you blend for a full 2 minutes, longer than you might think necessary. This extended blending is what creates that silky-smooth texture that makes the dip so luxurious. The generous amount of oil helps too, keeping everything smooth and preventing any graininess.

The 'Nduja Oil

This is where the dip goes from very good to absolutely spectacular. 'Nduja is a spreadable Calabrian pork sausage that's spicy, rich, and incredibly flavorful. When you melt it into olive oil (you can use some of that leftover confit oil) with smoked paprika, it creates a deep red, smoky, slightly spicy oil that's ridiculously good.

The 'nduja melts completely into the oil, creating something that's rich, spicy, and intensely savory. Drizzled over the pale bean dip, it creates beautiful swirls of red that look stunning and taste even better.

If you haven't tried 'nduja before, this is a great introduction. Look for it at specialty markets, Italian delis, or well-stocked grocery stores. And once you have it, you'll find yourself adding it to pasta sauces, spreading it on pizza, stirring it into soups, it's incredibly versatile.

Assembly and Serving

The presentation is simple but striking. Spread the smooth bean dip into a shallow serving dish—a wide bowl or plate works beautifully. Drizzle the 'nduja oil generously over the top, creating swirls and pools of that gorgeous red oil. Finish with fresh cracked black pepper, reserved oregano leaves, and a bit of lemon zest.

The visual contrast is stunning, pale creamy dip, deep red oil, green oregano, yellow lemon zest. And the flavors are even better, rich, smooth beans meet smoky, spicy oil with bright hits of lemon and oregano throughout.

Serve with warm pita, crusty bread, crackers, or fresh vegetables. The dip is rich enough that it pairs beautifully with simple accompaniments.

Make-Ahead Friendly

This dip is perfect for entertaining because several components can be made ahead. The garlic and shallot confit can be made in advance and refrigerated. The beans can be cooked ahead. You can even make the dip itself a day ahead, just wait to make and add the 'nduja oil until closer to serving time for the best flavor and appearance.

The leftover confit oil is a gift, refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks and use it in salad dressings, for roasting vegetables, tossed with pasta, or anywhere you want a hit of garlic and herb flavor.

A Dip That Impresses

This is the kind of dip that makes people ask for the recipe. It looks impressive, tastes incredible, and has layers of flavor that keep you coming back for more. The smooth, rich beans, the mellow garlic confit, the bright lemon and oregano, and that addictive 'nduja oil all work together to create something special.

It proves that bean dips can be just as sophisticated and crave-worthy as any hummus or baba ganoush. Sometimes all it takes is quality beans, good olive oil, and a few thoughtful techniques to create something extraordinary.

*A Note On Our Recipes:

Every recipe here was developed and tested using farm-fresh beans from Foodocracy and Primary Beans. Older beans, anything past a year in your pantry or beans from other sources may need more coaxing. Give them a soak and add extra cooking time, and they'll get there eventually.

Alubia Bean Dip With Garlic Confit And 'Nduja Oil

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Category

Appetizer

Cuisine

Mediterranean

I set out to make a really great bean dip using nutty Alubia beans that would be a nod to their Mediterranean roots and rival even the best hummus. The magic comes from a quick confit of garlic, shallot, lemon peel, and oregano, which I blended with the beans. Then, I used 'nduja to create an addictively smoky, unctuous topping that ties it all together. – Jackie Young (@cookwithjackie)

Featured bean: Alubia

Ingredients

• ½ lb dried Primary Beans Alubia beans

• 1 head garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 small shallot, quartered

• ¾ cup olive oil, plus more as needed

• Juice of 1 lemon + 4 strips of zest peeled, plus some zest for serving

• Leaves of 4 sprigs fresh oregano

• 1½ tsp salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

• 2 oz 'nduja

• ½ tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika

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Directions

1. Prepare the beans: Cook beans according to the Primary Beans cooking guide in the cooking vessel of your choice. When your beans are done cooking, reserve ½ cup bean cooking liquid and drain off the rest.

2. Make the confit: Meanwhile, add garlic cloves and shallot to a small saucepan. Cover with ¾ cup olive oil or until all cloves and shallot are submerged (see note below). Simmer garlic and shallot on low for 20 minutes. Add lemon peel and oregano leaves, setting aside a few oregano leaves for garnish. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Pour confit into a heat-proof bowl.

3. Blend the ingredients: Using a fine mesh strainer, transfer garlic, shallot, lemon peel, and oregano to food processor, reserving confit oil. Add drained beans, ½ cup bean cooking liquid, ¼ cup confit oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste. Blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.

4. Make the 'nduja oil: Set a saucepan (you can use the same one you used earlier for the confit) over medium heat and add 2 tbsp of confit oil. Add 'nduja and paprika. Simmer 5 minutes until 'nduja has melted and oil turns a deep red.

5. To serve: Spread bean dip into a serving dish and top with 'nduja oil, fresh cracked black pepper, reserved oregano leaves, and lemon zest.

Recipe Note

• It may take more than ¾ cup olive oil if your saucepan is more than 6 inches in diameter, that's okay! To use the least amount of oil, pick a pot/pan with straight sides and the smallest diameter you can find. A 2-quart saucepan is ideal.
• Garlic and shallot confit can be made in advance.
• Refrigerate leftover confit oil in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Every recipe here was developed and tested using farm-fresh beans from Foodocracy and Primary Beans. Older beans, anything past a year in your pantry, or beans from other sources may need more coaxing. Give them a soak and add extra cooking time, and they'll get there eventually.